Awesome! I don't see why Wilshire/West LA can't have a bunch more of these.

LAsam

Nov 27, 2018, 6:48 PM

Awesome! I don't see why Wilshire/West LA can't have a bunch more of these.

Especially with the purple line extension west of the 405.

colemonkee

Nov 28, 2018, 3:56 PM

Drove by the Samitaur site, now known as (W)rapper (http://ericowenmoss.com/project-detail/wrapper/) on Eric Owen Moss’s site, and spotted not one, but two shoring rigs hard at work (second rig not pictured). With the Carmel Partners 30-story tower already several stories above ground one short super block away, this little corner of Culver/LA is about to get a mini-cluster.

Plus the always imminent Jamison tower near MacArthur Park which is alleged to break ground in December.

Seems like a mini boomlette to me. Did the tower across the way from LACMA sand The Page Museum actually end up breaking ground?

WonderlandPark2

Nov 29, 2018, 1:18 AM

And I think the last on the LACMA adjacent tower, there were photos of utility relocation a month or two ago.

And did the tower portion of Academy Square in Hollywood break ground yet?

Forgot about the K-town County office tower.

Illithid Dude

Nov 29, 2018, 10:24 AM

And I think the last on the LACMA adjacent tower, there were photos of utility relocation a month or two ago.

And did the tower portion of Academy Square in Hollywood break ground yet?

Forgot about the K-town County office tower.

Academy Square and Expo and La Brea both broke ground around the same time either earlier this year or last year. And there was the House of Blue replacement which I think started construction around January - Feb.

Honestly, despite all the doom and gloom, not a bad year for groundbreakings.

WonderlandPark2

Nov 29, 2018, 5:04 PM

Academy Square and Expo and La Brea both broke ground around the same time

Only the low rise portion of Academy Square is U/C

Illithid Dude

Nov 29, 2018, 11:12 PM

Only the low rise portion of Academy Square is U/C

I don't believe that's true, you can very clearly see the tower footprint in the construction site.

Curious how this one is gonna happen in West Hollywood, but I hope it does. The project looks significantly better than its prior iteration.

Car(e)-Free LA

Dec 3, 2018, 11:24 PM

Curious how this one is gonna happen in West Hollywood, but I hope it does. The project looks significantly better than its prior iteration.

I love the design, but I think this location is better suited to a blocky building forming a street wall, with that structure located somewhere else along the strip.

Illithid Dude

Dec 4, 2018, 12:17 AM

I love the design, but I think this location is better suited to a blocky building forming a street wall, with that structure located somewhere else along the strip.

I feel like there is a street wall on the pedestrian level. What happens three or four levels above the sidewalk doesn't concern me as much. The Edition Hotel is very set back and doesn't provide much in terms of the pedestrian experience. This proposal is much better in terms of that.

Morphosis the architects. It's so ridiculous, wow. And imagine the pancake stack tower down the street playing off each other. Oh and Gwenneth's Art's Club building if it survives the public vote next year.

The commenters are crazy NIMBYs. The city will always be changing... its inevitable. I personally welcome daring designs and architecture... or would you rather have another glass box and look like Vancouver?

caligrad

Dec 15, 2018, 12:10 AM

This is what LA needs, Architects need to take notice, not saying that every project needs a crazy design but bland glass boxes with podiums is really starting to get old.

These towers came out of nowhere. Previously two towers were to be built on a parking garage at 3470 Wilshire just a block away. I wonder if Curbed had that address wrong in their earlier Koreatown updates or is Jamison doing the exact same thing on parking garages a block apart?

Illithid Dude

Dec 15, 2018, 1:54 AM

These towers came out of nowhere. Previously two towers were to be built on a parking garage at 3470 Wilshire just a block away. I wonder if Curbed had that address wrong in their earlier Koreatown updates or is Jamison doing the exact same thing on parking garages a block apart?

I think Jamison is developing both properties. These towers are easily the ugliest design Perkins + Will has ever produced but I appreciate the density. The 1500 parking spaces and spotty pedestrian interface I can do without. I do applaud Jamison for continually using new architects, though. Their collaborations with LARGE are certainly the best, but it's nice for a large scale developer to not continually use TCA or some other similarly acronymic "architectural" studio.

ChelseaFC

Dec 15, 2018, 4:14 PM

These towers came out of nowhere. Previously two towers were to be built on a parking garage at 3470 Wilshire just a block away. I wonder if Curbed had that address wrong in their earlier Koreatown updates or is Jamison doing the exact same thing on parking garages a block apart?

The commenters are crazy NIMBYs. The city will always be changing... its inevitable. I personally welcome daring designs and architecture... or would you rather have another glass box and look like Vancouver?

I really like it too as its creative, innovative and just awesome looking.:tup:

This is what LA needs, Architects need to take notice, not saying that every project needs a crazy design but bland glass boxes with podiums is really starting to get old.

I'm gonna agree and take it a step further. WDCH, basically every semi-garish Gehry proposal, LAPD building, Emerson College, Vespertine, that weirdo tower in Culver City, the PDC. Even though I may not love all of these designs, damnit, they're at least interesting. LA is one of the few cities where nothing seems out of place and anything goes. I'm here all day for these types of projects, especially in Hollywood.

SD_Phil

Dec 16, 2018, 7:25 PM

I'm gonna agree and take it a step further. WDCH, basically every semi-garish Gehry proposal, LAPD building, Emerson College, Vespertine, that weirdo tower in Culver City, the PDC. Even though I may not love all of these designs, damnit, they're at least interesting. LA is one of the few cities where nothing seems out of place and anything goes. I'm here all day for these types of projects, especially in Hollywood.

Exactly. If these buildings can't be built in LA then they don't belong anywhere really. LA is built on architectural experiments (that sometimes fail). I wouldn't have it any other way.

StethJeff

Dec 16, 2018, 8:02 PM

I'm hoping/expecting that our Asian connections continue to deliver more aggressive and bolder designs. We need more of their creativity to rub off on this side of the rim.

caligrad

Dec 17, 2018, 7:59 AM

I'm gonna agree and take it a step further. WDCH, basically every semi-garish Gehry proposal, LAPD building, Emerson College, Vespertine, that weirdo tower in Culver City, the PDC. Even though I may not love all of these designs, damnit, they're at least interesting. LA is one of the few cities where nothing seems out of place and anything goes. I'm here all day for these types of projects, especially in Hollywood.

Much better view than the crappy WeHoville photo, especially of the street level.

I love it but don't see it penciling out with all the dead space in the middle. Only time will tell I guess. That and if the comment section of the wehoville article is general consensus, expect the pitchfork mob to be out in force.

I love it but don't see it penciling out with all the dead space in the middle. Only time will tell I guess. That and if the comment section of the wehoville article is general consensus, expect the pitchfork mob to be out in force.

I think a structural engineer is likely to put the kibosh on this one before the pitchfork mob gets a chance, at least as currently designed.

Busy Bee

Dec 17, 2018, 9:25 PM

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;
She gave them some broth without any bread;
Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

Haha! Yes! It's an Eric Owen Moss design, and he has a lot of buildings in this area, most of which are really funky work spaces. Some of them are not well-reviewed by the people who work in them.

Eightball

Dec 18, 2018, 5:54 AM

Culver City is full of buildings like that which are quite successful.

I am completely enamored with the Sunset Strip Tower. Lets build it immediately it is so LA! Will be a huge success

hughfb3

Dec 18, 2018, 9:35 PM

I think a structural engineer is likely to put the kibosh on this one before the pitchfork mob gets a chance, at least as currently designed.

This building isn’t that difficult to construct... and actually; it’s already been built right in Hollywood and designed by the same architect. This sunset strip building is basically the more flashy version of the Morphosis designed Emerson college... ironically on Sunset Bl In Hollywood.

https://www.morphosis.com/architecture/127/

Illithid Dude

Dec 18, 2018, 11:41 PM

Considering the empty space in the middle, my guess is that's to maximize FAR, so they can build up the two towers on either side.

colemonkee

Dec 19, 2018, 4:36 PM

The primary difference between the Sunset hotel project and the Emerson College Building (which I love) is the number of habitable floors in the cantilevered section. I'm sure there's an engineering solution that will work (even given our pretty strict seismic building requirements), but I'm not sure if the development team has fully costed this out.

colemonkee

Dec 21, 2018, 7:05 PM

In other Culver City news, a friend of mine on the Culver City Council mentioned in passing that Apple has presented initial plans to the City Council for the Apple Music HQ directly across National from the Ivy Station project, where crews have been demolishing the former Learning Materials building on the western edge of the Helms Bakery complex block. He says that Apple being predictably guarded with releasing the designs to the public yet, but that the initial plans they saw include some ground floor retail. If true, that whole area with Ivy Station, the Platform and now Apple Music HQ could become the next "downtown" Culver City. Now, if we could only get that strip mall on Venice just west of the Expo Line that's bookended by the Del Taco and Wendy's redeveloped into mixed use, then you would have a pretty contiguous, walkable neighborhood from National to Duquense (and arguably beyond if walking along Washington Blvd).

Illithid Dude

Dec 21, 2018, 8:40 PM

In other Culver City news, a friend of mine on the Culver City Council mentioned in passing that Apple has presented initial plans to the City Council for the Apple Music HQ directly across National from the Ivy Station project, where crews have been demolishing the former Learning Materials building on the western edge of the Helms Bakery complex block. He says that Apple being predictably guarded with releasing the designs to the public yet, but that the initial plans they saw include some ground floor retail. If true, that whole area with Ivy Station, the Platform and now Apple Music HQ could become the next "downtown" Culver City. Now, if we could only get that strip mall on Venice just west of the Expo Line that's bookended by the Del Taco and Wendy's redeveloped into mixed use, then you would have a pretty contiguous, walkable neighborhood from National to Duquense (and arguably beyond if walking along Washington Blvd).

Very interesting. Is LA about to get a Norman Foster building?

LA21st

Dec 21, 2018, 9:45 PM

In other Culver City news, a friend of mine on the Culver City Council mentioned in passing that Apple has presented initial plans to the City Council for the Apple Music HQ directly across National from the Ivy Station project, where crews have been demolishing the former Learning Materials building on the western edge of the Helms Bakery complex block. He says that Apple being predictably guarded with releasing the designs to the public yet, but that the initial plans they saw include some ground floor retail. If true, that whole area with Ivy Station, the Platform and now Apple Music HQ could become the next "downtown" Culver City. Now, if we could only get that strip mall on Venice just west of the Expo Line that's bookended by the Del Taco and Wendy's redeveloped into mixed use, then you would have a pretty contiguous, walkable neighborhood from National to Duquense (and arguably beyond if walking along Washington Blvd).

whoa, that's great news.

caligrad

Dec 21, 2018, 10:27 PM

I love how Culver City is quickly turning into another anchor city for LA. The expo line has also done wonders for the area I feel.

colemonkee

Dec 21, 2018, 10:35 PM

^ It really has. The developments going up have replaced mostly parking lots and low-rise industrial or single-story retail buildings. The only real "loss" was Surfas, but they're still open, they just moved further down Washington Blvd to a new location.

bzcat

Dec 21, 2018, 11:30 PM

In other Culver City news, a friend of mine on the Culver City Council mentioned in passing that Apple has presented initial plans to the City Council for the Apple Music HQ directly across National from the Ivy Station project, where crews have been demolishing the former Learning Materials building on the western edge of the Helms Bakery complex block. He says that Apple being predictably guarded with releasing the designs to the public yet, but that the initial plans they saw include some ground floor retail. If true, that whole area with Ivy Station, the Platform and now Apple Music HQ could become the next "downtown" Culver City. Now, if we could only get that strip mall on Venice just west of the Expo Line that's bookended by the Del Taco and Wendy's redeveloped into mixed use, then you would have a pretty contiguous, walkable neighborhood from National to Duquense (and arguably beyond if walking along Washington Blvd).

The strip mall on Venice doesn't help but the big problem is the two Honda and Toyota dealerships at Robertson and Washington. They are located in the most unfortunate place in terms of walk-ability and connectivity between Downtown Culver City and the Expo line Station.

If you get rid of the car dealerships and put in some ground level retail on that block with public easement (like the Platform or Ivy Station), you can make walking from Trader Joe's to Expo line Station much easier and more pleasant.

And if we are able to redevelop that entire block (car dealerships, Venice Blvd strip mall, the low rise office block on Robertson), I would suggest Culver City reconfigure Robertson between Venice and Washington into a bus station for the Expo line station and make it a pedestrian friendly zone. Restrict access to Robertson to only transit buses, eliminate Hoke Ave, and give the rest of the road surface back to people walking on foot. Add shade trees and integrate it with the new developments.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/46411841061_8740620f7e_b.jpg

ChelseaFC

Dec 21, 2018, 11:36 PM

The big problem is not the strip malls on Venice but the two Honda and Toyota dealerships at Robertson and Washington. They are located in the most unfortunate place in terms of walk-ability and connectivity between Downtown Culver City and the Expo line Station.

If you get rid of the car dealerships and put in some ground level retail on that block with public easement (like the Platform or Ivy Station), you can walk in a straight line from Trader Joe's to Expo line Station.

Agreed. Just not sure how likely that actually is. I do imagine some developer is going to try to purchase the Howard Industries warehouse complex however.

Radio5

Dec 22, 2018, 3:54 AM

Anybody know what the status of the development in Los Feliz btwn Hillhurst and Hollywood? Frost/Chaddock were going to do something a while back. They finally have a fence up and auto zone is gone, but it's been over a year since then.

Illithid Dude

Dec 22, 2018, 9:25 PM

The strip mall on Venice doesn't help but the big problem is the two Honda and Toyota dealerships at Robertson and Washington. They are located in the most unfortunate place in terms of walk-ability and connectivity between Downtown Culver City and the Expo line Station.

If you get rid of the car dealerships and put in some ground level retail on that block with public easement (like the Platform or Ivy Station), you can make walking from Trader Joe's to Expo line Station much easier and more pleasant.

And if we are able to redevelop that entire block (car dealerships, Venice Blvd strip mall, the low rise office block on Robertson), I would suggest Culver City reconfigure Robertson between Venice and Washington into a bus station for the Expo line station and make it a pedestrian friendly zone. Restrict access to Robertson to only transit buses, eliminate Hoke Ave, and give the rest of the road surface back to people walking on foot. Add shade trees and integrate it with the new developments.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/46411841061_8740620f7e_b.jpg

Well there was that plan that someone commissioned from Brooks + Scarpa.

Culver City is about to get a lot more $$$. I'm hoping we'll start seeing some nicer developments in nearby Palms.

caligrad

Dec 23, 2018, 8:32 AM

Culver City seems to be turning into an extension of "Silicone Beach". Turning into a tech heavy center. I don't mind it at all. Its a great location for that type of industry. Its in the center of everything sorta speak... Its right between DTLA and the airport. Its right near Century Center and Hollywood and the beach. I say keep it coming. Hopefully we'll see more denser developments, mid level high-rises and etc.

That being said...Culver City is a bit of a mess in terms of congestion. There needs to be another line through the area quick. I know the city isn't even thinking about that option anytime soon, but a Pico/Venice line from DTLA to Venice Beach would be a great route. Would service two different areas that the expo isn't touching at the moment.

This isn't the Wendy's/Del Taco lot or car dealerships lot, this is the triangular lot bounded by Robertson and Washington. The car dealerships are still the main impediment to extending DT Culver City to the Expo Line station.

Some of these new Koreatown condo towers will have some fantastic views of DTLA. That is, until it gets blocked by the next condo going up :)

Quixote

Jan 2, 2019, 5:26 PM

Now that’s how you design a singular structure for a large-footprint lot—you vary the architectural facade. In this case, it visually reads as two separate buildings.

LA21st

Jan 2, 2019, 6:07 PM

Is the tower portion at La Cienga/Jefferson u/c? There's a structure 6-7 floors up already on the north end, which is where the 30 story tower would be.

Illithid Dude

Jan 3, 2019, 12:02 AM

Is the tower portion at La Cienga/Jefferson u/c? There's a structure 6-7 floors up already on the north end, which is where the 30 story tower would be.

Yes. I noticed equipment on the Jamison tower site west of MacArthur Park as well.

LA21st

Jan 3, 2019, 12:47 AM

Wow, I figured they would complete the low rise section first. Great news !

Per the MacArthur Park update-
Is that the 29 story complex?

colemonkee

Jan 3, 2019, 5:30 AM

^ The Jamison tower at 2900 Wilshire (https://urbanize.la/post/fresh-renderings-2900-wilshire) is planned for 23 stories, if plans haven't changed since this Urbanize article was published. That's a great sign that there's equipment there.

As for the La Cienega/Jefferson development, it is most definitely the high-rise that is rising fastest. Much of the low-rise portion of the project is still working on below-ground parking levels. The high rise is starting to become visible from as far away as the intersection of La Cienega and Fairfax.

Illithid Dude

Jan 3, 2019, 7:49 AM

The high rise at Jefferson and La Cienaga is so tall and solitary I'm honestly worried it's going to spur an anti-density anti-high rise movement.

112597jorge

Jan 3, 2019, 8:06 AM

The high rise at Jefferson and La Cienaga is so tall and solitary I'm honestly worried it's going to spur an anti-density anti-high rise movement.

Eric owen moss office tower will rise next to it as well.

caligrad

Jan 3, 2019, 8:06 AM

I thought that area was getting a few mid rise towers ?

ChelseaFC

Jan 3, 2019, 4:20 PM

Onni has purchased the Wilshire Courtyard building complex near LACMA. Anyone know the scoop on their plans for the property?

^^^ don't forget Long Beach lol its new tallest is currently under construction.

Also. Am i the only one underwhelmed with the 28 by 28 plan ? The expo line showing how rail lines can change the areas around it, you would expect metro to be coming it with all kinds of new routes for the future instead of thinking of one line (Sepulveda line) and dwelling over that one line for an entire decade before thinking of the next project. The west side needs a Lincoln line to connect the beaches with the Airport and further south. But lets just focus on one line at a time apparently.

bzcat

Jan 9, 2019, 5:10 AM

I'm a little disappointed Westside Pavilion redevelopment will not include any housing. Tear down that crazy badly designed parking structure and build some condos! There is plenty of existing underground parking on the west side of Westwood to support the intended Google and retail use.

But as is, it is a good adaptive reuse of the building. I guess the parking structure demolishing can wait... eventually it will happen I think.

ocman

Jan 9, 2019, 6:12 AM

So Google, Apple and Netflix have signed leases for about 2 - 2.5 million sq ft in LA over the last couple months without LA having to sell its soul to the devil. Great news!

Also, Amazon is taking 500K sqft in Culver city, which seems to be taking the spotlight from arts district in terms of where cool things are now happening.

Facebook announced it's taking 260K in Playa Vista in the Maltzan-designed building. Los Angeles may be the only city where every single one of the FAANG companies have expanded to in this recent wave of expansions that have been announced in the last couple months, even as all the tech hype and write-ups is about NYC. Who needs HQ2?

Building-wise it’s more refined and finished. Street-wise, I liked the sand-dune sidewalk experience that insulates the pedestrian from the street. The new version pushes pedestrians out towards the cars zooming by and would make walking the area less pleasant.

Quixote

Jan 9, 2019, 7:14 AM

Also, Amazon is taking 500K sqft in Culver city, which seems to be taking the spotlight from arts district in terms of where cool things are now happening.

Because of the presence of a few major companies? Really?

It's still DTLA by a wide margin as far as culture, food, and retail are concerned.

ChelseaFC

Jan 9, 2019, 4:32 PM

Two-story retail development with subterranean parking is under construction at 8650 Melrose across from the Blue Whale in West Hollywood

Wow. Culver City has turned into a real economic force to be reckoned with. Seems to me that the Expo Line has been the catalyst for all this. Shows what can happen when a city embraces rail transit in lieu of resisting it.

caligrad

Jan 10, 2019, 10:01 PM

^^^ And I wish the City/County/Region would see this and the possibilities. There is no reason why rail line cant be spread all over the county. The bogus reports/studies that metro gives for their reasoning behind why some lines wont be "feasible" or why they "wont work" just makes me want to scream. But somehow the WSAB makes the cut and the endless extension of the foothill line makes sense while denser corridors "Wont make sense". Annoying.

Los Angeles may be the only city where every single one of the FAANG companies have expanded to in this recent wave of expansions that have been announced in the last couple months, even as all the tech hype and write-ups is about NYC. Who needs HQ2?

That's largely because all the recent FAANG expansions are all driven by their respective media strategies. Instead of buying an existing studio, FAANG are going to now spending stupid money trying to reinvent the proverbial wheel of making TV shows and movie.

So LA expansion is not a coincidence... this is where the talent lives whom FAANG wants to hire. And I'm not talking about actors, writers, or directors. I'm talking about production people, accountants and lawyers who know how to do entertainment deals, and people who work in distribution. They all live in LA and no one wants to move to Seattle or San Jose.